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Alumni Hall (Fairfield University)
Encyclopedia
Alumni Hall is a 2,479 seat multi-purpose arena
on the campus of Fairfield University
located in Fairfield, Connecticut
. The facility opened on December 5, 1959 and is one of the earliest prestressed concrete
structures of its kind ever attempted. Engineering magazines from the time noted that the eleven 160-foot pre-cast arches used in the building’s construction were a record-breaking span for pre-cast arch ribs used in the United States.
men's
and women's basketball teams until 2002, when the teams began playing home games at the Arena at Harbor Yard
in Bridgeport, Connecticut
. Alumni Hall is now home to the Fairfield Stags
women's volleyball team and the Fairfield Prep Jesuits basketball teams.
Well known for its raucous atmosphere created by "The Red Sea" of red-clad students sitting in bleachers rising to the rafters, Sports Illustrated
once reported that it hosted the most vocal and loyal basketball fans in the Northeast. With Stags fans nostalgic for the on-campus experience and the glory days of The Red Sea, Alumni Hall hosted two men's and women's basketball games during the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons.
Baccalaureate Mass
and the Fairfield Prep Commencement Ceremony.
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
on the campus of Fairfield University
Fairfield University
Fairfield University is a private, co-educational undergraduate and master's level teaching-oriented university located in Fairfield, Connecticut, in the New England region of the United States. It was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1942, and today is one of 28 member institutions of the...
located in Fairfield, Connecticut
Fairfield, Connecticut
Fairfield is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is bordered by the towns of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Easton, Redding and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 59,404...
. The facility opened on December 5, 1959 and is one of the earliest prestressed concrete
Prestressed concrete
Prestressed concrete is a method for overcoming concrete's natural weakness in tension. It can be used to produce beams, floors or bridges with a longer span than is practical with ordinary reinforced concrete...
structures of its kind ever attempted. Engineering magazines from the time noted that the eleven 160-foot pre-cast arches used in the building’s construction were a record-breaking span for pre-cast arch ribs used in the United States.
Sports arena
Alumni Hall was home to the Fairfield StagsFairfield Stags
The Fairfield Stags are the athletic programs representing Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. Most of the programs are members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and classified as Division I-AAA in the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
men's
Fairfield Stags men's basketball
The Fairfield Stags men's basketball team represents Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut and competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference of NCAA Division I. The Stags play their home games in the 9,500 seat, state of the art Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut and plays...
and women's basketball teams until 2002, when the teams began playing home games at the Arena at Harbor Yard
Arena at Harbor Yard
The Webster Bank Arena is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena at 600 Main Street in Bridgeport, Connecticut, built alongside The Ballpark at Harbor Yard. The Arena opened on October 10, 2001 and is managed by the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and Centerplate...
in Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
. Alumni Hall is now home to the Fairfield Stags
Fairfield Stags
The Fairfield Stags are the athletic programs representing Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. Most of the programs are members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and classified as Division I-AAA in the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
women's volleyball team and the Fairfield Prep Jesuits basketball teams.
Well known for its raucous atmosphere created by "The Red Sea" of red-clad students sitting in bleachers rising to the rafters, Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
once reported that it hosted the most vocal and loyal basketball fans in the Northeast. With Stags fans nostalgic for the on-campus experience and the glory days of The Red Sea, Alumni Hall hosted two men's and women's basketball games during the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons.
Memorable moments
- On January 21, 1978, in front of 3,000 raucous fans at an overcapacity Alumni Hall, the Fairfield Stags men's basketballFairfield Stags men's basketballThe Fairfield Stags men's basketball team represents Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut and competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference of NCAA Division I. The Stags play their home games in the 9,500 seat, state of the art Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut and plays...
team stunned the No. 14 nationally ranked and All-American Ronnie Perry led Holy Cross Crusaders with a 123-103 overtime victory. Led by Stag All-American Joe DeSantis '79Joe DeSantisJoe DeSantis is currently the color commentator for the radio and TV broadcasts of Fairfield Stags men's basketball and is a member of the New England Basketball Hall of Fame...
and All-East Mark Young '79, the team's offensive production still ranks all-time as the most points scored in a game by a Fairfield team. - On February 20, 1974, local Bridgeport, ConnecticutBridgeport, ConnecticutBridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
high school basketball legend and future All American and NBA player Walter Luckett returned home with his No. 16 nationally ranked Ohio BobcatsOhio BobcatsOhio University features 16 varsity sports teams called the Bobcats. The Bobcats compete in the Mid-American Conference in all sports. The Bobcats were a charter member of the Mid-American Conference in 1946 and are the only team still in the conference from the original 5 team league that...
team to play before his hometown fans at Alumni Hall against the Fairfield Stags. Just the year before Luckett was the nation’s top recruit and donned the front cover of the 1972 Sports IllustratedSports IllustratedSports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
College Basketball Season Preview edition. While the hometown fans were welcoming, the Red Sea and the Stags were not. Using a variety of inside moves Ray Kelly ‘75 outplayed Luckett and led the Stags to a 91-80 victory quieting the Luckett contingency and leaving the Red Sea to revel in the high profile victory.
Event center
Alumni Hall has been host to many special political and musical events and annually hosts the Fairfield UniversityFairfield University
Fairfield University is a private, co-educational undergraduate and master's level teaching-oriented university located in Fairfield, Connecticut, in the New England region of the United States. It was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1942, and today is one of 28 member institutions of the...
Baccalaureate Mass
Baccalaureate service
A baccalaureate service is a celebration which honors a graduating senior class from a college or high school...
and the Fairfield Prep Commencement Ceremony.
- During the 1988 United States presidential electionUnited States presidential election, 1988The United States presidential election of 1988 featured no incumbent president, as President Ronald Reagan was unable to seek re-election after serving the maximum two terms allowed by the Twenty-second Amendment. Reagan's Vice President, George H. W. Bush, won the Republican nomination, while the...
, then Vice President George H. Bush visited Fairfield University and delivered a speech in Alumni Hall attacking the tax-and-budget policies of then Massachusetts Governor Michael DukakisMichael DukakisMichael Stanley Dukakis served as the 65th and 67th Governor of Massachusetts from 1975–1979 and from 1983–1991, and was the Democratic presidential nominee in 1988. He was born to Greek immigrants in Brookline, Massachusetts, also the birthplace of John F. Kennedy, and was the longest serving...
days before being elected the 41st President of the United StatesPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. - The Fairfield University Students Association ("FUSA") annually hosts both a Fall and Spring Concert at Alumni Hall typically bringing well-known musical acts to campus. Notable performances include the Beach Boys in 1967, The ByrdsThe ByrdsThe Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
in 1973, O.A.R.O.A.R.O.A.R. is an American rock band composed of Marc Roberge , Chris Culos , Richard On , Benj Gershman , and Jerry DePizzo...
in 2006 , LudacrisLudacrisChristopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
in Spring 2008, and John LegendJohn LegendJohn Roger Stephens , better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career...
performed in December 2008. FUSA announced in December 2009 that the Spring 2010 concert would feature Sean KingstonSean KingstonSean Kingston is a Jamaican-American singer. He pursued a music career and debuted in 2007 with the album Sean Kingston.-Early life:...
and Eve 6Eve 6Eve 6 is an American rock band from Southern California, who are most well known for their hit singles "Inside Out", "Leech", and the slow anthem "Here's to the Night". They disbanded in 2004, returned in 2007 with a new lineup, and finally reunited with all three original members in March 2011...
with a special surprise third guest to be announced shortly.